In Shimla, in winters we put heavy blankets on…

In Shimla, in winters we put heavy blankets on the terrace to dry. My mother had put our big grey blanket on the terrace railing.

I was inside studying. Suddenly my mother shouted "blanket dekh, udd raha hai!"

Wind was very strong that day. I ran to the terrace, the blanket was already half hanging down from the railing, on the other side.

Our terrace is on 3rd floor. If it fell down, it would go straight into the nala behind our building. No one could get it back.

I tried to pull it, but it was heavy and the wind was pulling it. My hands were cold, I couldn't grip properly.

My mother came and we both pulled it together. We pulled it so hard that both of us fell back on the floor. Blanket on top of us.

We were lying on the cold terrace floor, under that blanket, laughing. My mother said "agar gir jaata toh tere papa ne daantna tha."

We folded it and kept it inside, it was a little dirty from the floor dust, but we used it that night only. It smelled like outside air.